Asifa and Pooja Aggarwal met at a bar in Delhi and became friends. Soon after, they allegedly hatched a conspiracy to rob businessmen believed to have black money. The plan was simple: pose as officials from agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED), or Delhi Police or Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch, conduct fake raids and make off with cash and valuables.According to police, the duo believed their targets would never approach the police because they would not want to disclose the source of unaccounted money.To execute the plan, Asifa and Pooja allegedly arranged fake uniforms resembling those worn by senior police officers, black coats with CBI and ED monograms, and forged identity cards. They would also carry fake agency letterheads and notices to make the raids appear genuine, police said. In each fake raid, men hired for Rs 4,000-5,000 and dressed in black suits would pose as officials.And then, earlier this month, they knocked on the wrong door. A businessman living in Rohini’s Prashant Vihar alerted the police, leading to the arrest of Asifa, Pooja and one Kuldeep Sharma. A former banker, Sharma allegedly provided the two women with information about the businessman, for whom he had worked in the past.Pooja allegedly sought the help of her brother-in-law, Chandra Prakash, an electrician who works at a hotel, to arrange men for the fake raids. According to police, photographs and videos of several fake raids were found on the phones of Asifa and Pooja.In one video, which investigators believe was recorded during such a raid in Lajpat Nagar, members of the group are seen wearing black and green coats and arguing with a victim seated on a sofa at his home.Police also suspect that the two women may have conducted similar fake raids in Maharashtra while posing as ED officials. Photographs of Asifa wearing a Jammu and Kashmir Police uniform were also found on her phone, police said.Story continues below this adA police officer said the businessman in Lajpat Nagar never informed the police about any raid. But they are investigating whether the group was involved in similar incidents in Delhi or other states. “The gang, allegedly led by Asifa and Pooja, planned to target wealthy businessmen with unaccounted money, illegal call centres and betting syndicates. They had arranged multiple uniforms so that, based on tips from their informers at hotels or parties, they could conduct raids by posing as CBI, ED or Crime Branch officials, depending on the situation,” the officer said. The video of the fake raid shows Asifa and Pooja questioning a businessmanThe ‘raid’ gone wrongOn August 11, a group of eight people — six men and two women — reached a businessman’s home in Prashant Vihar and allegedly introduced themselves as CBI officials. They displayed fake identity cards and claimed that they had come to conduct a raid, according to police.When the complainant and his mother asked for a warrant, the accused allegedly threatened them. The group waited outside the house for around 90 minutes and left only after neighbours intervened. The complainant then contacted the police.A purported CBI notice was sent to the complainant’s father. Although the message was deleted, the complainant took a screenshot and has handed it over to the investigators.Story continues below this ad“The investigation has indicated that the accused allegedly adopted a modus operandi of posing as officials of agencies such as the CBI and ED, identifying potential targets and then using fake documents and intimidation to gain entry or obtain money and valuables,” said Shashank Jaiswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini).An FIR was registered at Prashant Vihar police station on August 19 under sections relating to extortion, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy. A team led by Inspector Viveka Nand, Station House Officer of Prashant Vihar police station, was formed. The team was supervised by Joint Commissioner Vijay Singh and DCP Jaiswal. Police have recovered fake ID cards from the accusedFake notice leads cops to suspectsThe fake notice sent to the businessman’s father, along with technical evidence, helped police trace the suspects. The businessman initially suspected a robbery attempt staged by a rival with whom he had a financial dispute. But this was not established during the investigation.Police subsequently traced Sharma, who worked as an accountant for the businessman several years ago. Investigators said Sharma had information suggesting that the businessman might be keeping money at home.Story continues below this adPolice said CCTV analysis and technical surveillance led to the identification and arrest of seven accused — Asifa, 29, Pooja, 27, Kuldeep Sharma, 63, Chander Prakash Sharma, 38, Shubham alias Golu, 26, Rajveer Singh, 21, and Nitin Sharma, 30. Police said clothing bearing a CBI monogram were recovered during the investigation, and images of fake identity cards were found on the accused’s phones.The masterminds: Asifa and PoojaPolice have found that Asifa, a native of Jammu and Kashmir who studied up to Class 8, earlier ran a hotel in Delhi’s Rajendra Place. The hotel was shut after losses. She opened another hotel in Mustafabad in East Delhi, but that too failed.While working in the hotel industry, she came into contact with several people and allegedly projected herself as well-connected. Around eight months ago, she met Kuldeep Sharma at a family wedding. Asifa and Pooja allegedly told Sharma that they have connections in the CBI.Kuldeep allegedly shared information about the complainant, including his address and the possible availability of cash or valuables. He had earlier worked with State Bank of India and ING Vysya Bank.Pooja, a singer who performed at bars and restaurants, came into contact with Asifa while working at a restaurant in Karol Bagh. Police say the two coordinated activities involving impersonation as CBI personnel and purported raids.Story continues below this adIn the present case, Pooja allegedly contacted her brother-in-law, Chander Prakash, who lives in New Ashok Nagar and works in the hotel industry, and asked him to arrange people for the fake raid. Chander allegedly arranged the men. Police said Shubham, Rajveer and Nitin are unemployed.Videos suggest wider networkThe investigation into the Rohini fake raid points to the possibility that the accused were operating across multiple cities. Videos recovered from the accused’s phones reportedly show members of the group conducting or participating in similar fake raids at different locations in Delhi and Mumbai while posing as officials of central agencies.“We are examining the digital and financial trails to identify other members of the network and possible victims. The source of the forged identity cards and documents is also being investigated,” Jaiswal said.Police are now examining call detail records, CCTV footage, digital devices and financial transactions to establish the roles of the accused. The probe is also focused on identifying other members of the alleged network, locating possible victims and tracing the source of the forged documents and identity cards.